Signed by J.H. Boylan

The First Saturday at Green Lawn program in Columbus this month featured Beth Santore, who sits on the Board of Trustees for the Association for Gravestone Studies and created the popular website www.graveaddiction.com. Beth fascinated a standing-room-only crowd with her stories and photos of Ohio gravestones.

And since she featured some graveyards I have not yet visited, now I have a summer to-do list. Thanks, Beth!

A few of the gravestones in Beth’s presentation were familiar to me, including this striking stone that is signed by the carver J. H. Boylan.

Click image to enlarge

SACRED
IN
MEMORY OF
Aligha Harnet
son of John and
Sarah Harnet
& Was born March
^th22 AD 1803 & Dc Febury
^th20 AD 1829 & aged 25
Years & 11 Monts &
22days

Remember now thy creator
in the days of thy youth, while
the evil days come not, ner
the yea is draw nigh, when
thou shalt say, I have no
pleasure in them;

And where is the signature? On the back! And so is another interesting—and interestingly spelled—epitaph. (Click the shady image below to enlarge. It is lacking the definition provided by proper lighting, but it is readable, and too good to pass up.)

Now in the heet of youthful
Blood, remember your creater
god; Behold the monts comes
hase[?]n on. When you shall say
my goys are gon
                  1829
                        JH Boylan
                        SC

New Reading Cemetery, Perry County, Ohio